Apple to buy Shazam Entertainment for $404m

LONDON, December 9, 2017

Apple is close to acquiring Shazam Entertainment Limited, the startup whose music recognition app is already built into the technology giant Siri virtual assistant, according to a person familiar with the discussions.

A deal for the London-based app maker could be announced as soon as Monday, the person, who declined to be identified because the details are not yet public, told Bloomberg.

TechCrunch earlier reported the takeover, adding that it could value Shazam at about £300 million ($404 million). An Apple spokesman declined to comment.

That valuation may come as a blow to some Shazam investors, who include Mexican billionaire Carlos Slim and venture capital firms Kleiner Perkins Caufield & Byers, Institutional Venture Partners and DN Capital. The 18-year-old company, which has required twice the average time to deliver an exit for backers, was valued at about $1 billion when it closed its last funding round in 2015.

The Shazam app uses the microphone on a smartphone to identify almost any song playing nearby.

The acquisition would help Apple embed that capability more deeply into its music offerings, which include a music-streaming service and the iTunes Store.